BACKGROUND
Crossroads International is an international development organization that is working towards reducing poverty and increasing women’s rights around the world. Working with local partners in 28 projects, in eight countries and supported by hundreds of volunteers each year, Crossroads leverages expertise and resources, North and South, required to help people overcome poverty and assert their human rights.
Crossroads, and Gone Rural have been working in partnership in eSwatini since 2010.
Gone Rural (Pty) Ltd
Gone Rural’s mission is to create home-based sustainable income for over 780 women in eSwatini’s rural areas, through handcraft. The products combine tradition with innovation to create hand-woven basketry, home accessories and bold statement pieces made with natural grasses and up-cycled materials. With commitment to sustainable social responsibility and Fair Trade principles, Gone Rural has successfully created a business model that empowers 786 rural women by providing them with home based income and skills training. Gone Rural sells to over 300 customers worldwide and is committed to growing its sales base and volume to generate more income for rural women as well as continually evolving the level of empowerment we offer to these talented artisans.
Mandate history:
In line with Gone Rural’s objective to evolve the level of empowerment offered to the rural women the company works with, we aim to increase opportunities for economic empowerment that these women have access to. This will involve creating opportunities for master weavers in becoming certified teachers for the next generation of weavers, capacitating weaving household to act as rural cultural ambassadors through tourism activities, and creating opportunities for skilled weavers to learn design skills and become product designers for Gone Rural. This strategy includes creating artisan-led design projects that simultaneously empower the women and yield higher unit prices for artisan-designed pieces.
POSITION DETAILS:
- Analyse the artisan-led design project pilot in the Lamghabi producer group to troubleshoot the process with recommendations for improvement
- Create a facilitation manual to guide the implementation of new processes to other artisan groups
- Teach design skills to a second group of rural artisans
- Empower the artisans to create their own designs and facilitate the design, sampling and product development process
- Support the artisans in distilling their designs into a commercial product line
Qualification criteria for selection include:
- Bachelor degree or Diploma in design or related field
- Significant knowledge of product design or development
- Knowledge and ability to work within a gender equality & women’s rights framework
- Analytical and information-seeking skills, effective and proven writing skills
- Strong training and facilitation skills
- Computer Skills: Microsoft applications, PowerPoint and internet research
- Read and commit to the CCIC Leaders’ Pledge on Preventing and Addressing Sexual Misconduct
Language : English
Other skill set/knowledge:
- Previous experience in the craft industry and working with artisan groups is an added advantage
- Passion for women’s empowerment is essential
- Adaptability and flexibility, including the ability to work with and relate to various demographics
- Previous experience working with rural populations
Eligibility criteria:
- Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
- Must be 19 years and older
- Share the commitment of preventing and addressing sexual misconduct
- Willing to conduct fundraising and public engagement activities before, during and after the placement
- In good physical and mental health (medical examination required)
- The volunteer needs to bring their own computer
- The volunteer must be available to attend one of the following pre-departure trainings : May 28-30 or July 30-August 1st 2019.
Personalized support before, during and after the mandate provided by an experienced and welcoming team. The Crossroads’ experience includes the following:
- Daily living allowance (amount varies depending on the country of assignment)
- Plane ticket and local transport
- Medical insurance and vaccinations
- Pre-departure training and re-orientation upon return
Crossroads International is committed to addressing gender-based violence by supporting the innovative work our partner organizations in ending violence against women and girls. JOIN THE MOVEMENT!
APPLICATION
To apply for this position, we kindly ask that you fill out Crossroads’ online application form.
PLEASE NOTE: We are experiencing some technical issues with the on-line submission, which our IT department is working to resolve, however if you receive an error message when you submit your application , please send your CV and cover letter to volunteer@cintl.org . We apologize for any inconvenience.
Please contact our Program officer – Volunteering if you have any question: volunteer@cintl.org
We thank all applicants but only those selected for interviews will be contacted.
